Tweets,



Brien Meilleur and I did a bit of birding this morning between Duvall and
Carnation. Best find was a bright singing male AMERICAN REDSTART at the
precise spot a pair nested last year, at Stillwater, King County.



In case you don?t know the spot, it is about ? mile west of the parking lot
off SR 203 (Fall City- Carnation-Duvall-Monroe highway) opposite Faye Rd.
This is the northern of two State Game parking areas with access to the
Stillwater WRA. It requires a state game parking permit. (Alternatively, one
may park free at the gated track between the two state game parking lots, in
which case you will want to walk north on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail to the
Faye Rd. lot).



Cross west over the Snoqualmie Valley Trail following a truck track across a
field that appears to have been recently herbicided. Where this track bends
90 degrees south, go straight following a muddy truck path past an isolated
old cherry tree (on your left). Continue straight west to the edge of the
riparian woods, then go left/south on a trail that crosses a small slough on
a metal grate bridge (don?t take the first track left/south, however, but
the next). Continue south ca. 100 yards through wet grass between the
cottonwoods and some recently planted native saplings to a noticeable gap in
the cottonwoods on your right/west. Penetrate here to a rip-rap bordered
slough and listen for the redstart. The nest last year was in a thicket of
near vertical branches just above the base of a largish willow on the
opposite bank west northwesterly. Good luck.



No sign of a female yet, but let?s hope.



Last year there was a pair of Red-eyed Vireos singing nearby, but we heard
nothing of the sort today, so they probably haven?t settled in yet.



The WESTERN KINGBIRD pair was back at the nest on the transformer complex on
the power pole 1.1 miles n of the Woodinville-Duvall Highway along the West
Snoqualmie River Rd., just nw of Duvall. Also conspicuous here was a singing
male LAZULI BUNTING, WILLOW FLYCATCHERS, WESTERN WOOD PEWEES, BULLOCK?S
ORIOLES, WESTERN TANAGERS, an AMERICAN KESTREL and a NORTHERN HARRIER, plus
lots of TURKEY VULTURES on the move.



Back at Stillwater, the BANK SWALLOW colony at the Snoqualmie River was in
full swing. Hal Opperman?s recent estimate of 80 birds seems close to what
we saw. We also noted two pairs of SPOTTED SANDPIPERS there plus others nw
of Duvall and at Sikes Lake. NW of Duvall we had a late LEAST SANDPIPER and
a cock RING-NECKED PHEASANT.



Gene Hunn

Lake Forest Park

enhunn323 at comcast.net